City Council Candidate: Here are three steps to increasing our housing supply

By J. Ross Lacy | District 4 candidate

Published 6:00 pm, Sunday, September 29, 2013

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J. Ross Lacy

J. Ross Lacy

City Council Candidate: Here are three steps to increasing our housing supply

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Currently this great city is experiencing a shortage in affordable housing, apartments and condos due to our explosive economy. We do not have the supply to meet the demand. Because of this shortage, we are losing qualified individuals in our police and fire departments along with other departments within our city staff. Individuals not working in the oil and gas sector are struggling to find a balance between daily expenses and rent in their monthly budgets. For our city and economy to continue to grow and prosper we have to address this issue today. The city needs to take a proactive approach to addressing this issue and make housing Midland’ No. 1 priority. As your city councilman I will work with other members of the City Council to implement three steps.

The first step is to completely re-vamp the entire technology system of our permit, inspection and engineering services and look at increasing the maximum density requirement for apartments. After meeting with local builders and developers, one problem was repeated by all of them, the city is slowing down new development because of how long it takes to go through the entire process. We should be using 21st century technology that allows the housing development process to be computerized and have a secure adequate database for all departments to access. We have to embrace the concept of increasing our operating efficiency like private companies do. By updating the technology within these departments, the city would be able to process permits and inspections at a faster pace and allow our local builders and developers to increase the supply of our housing. If we were to increase maximum density requirement for apartments from 16 units per acre to a larger number, this would allow developers to offer more affordable rates perhaps tied to a sliding scale on an individual’s monthly income.

The second step is to utilize the boards and organizations already at the disposal of our city. Midland has two formed entities that can be used: Midland Community Development Corp. (MCDC) and Midland Development Corp. (MDC). The MCDC recently received approval to move forward with an affordable senior living apartment complex that is going to be located in District 4 near Thomason and Loop 250. What a great development this is going to be for our city. With affordable rates that are going to be offered this will help ease the pain of escalating prices for our senior residents. As your councilman I would work tirelessly with the MCDC to continue to secure grants and funding so they are able to move forward with these great projects and continue to provide housing that is affordable. The MDC can assist by extending infrastructure, i.e. water and sewer lines and roads, to new areas of development. With the current structure of the MDC, it can be allowed to extend services to the edge of a development and then it is the developer’s responsibility past that point. Recently, it was just approved to extend infrastructure to the new development south of Interstate 20 and Loop 250. These are the types of projects that will help in adding supply to our housing market by utilizing resources already in place and giving developers an incentive to move forward.

The final step is having the city work with local foundations to offer housing stipends. As a native Midlander, I have witnessed and experienced the giving heart of our community, and it is unmatched anywhere else in the world. The Scharbauer Foundation generously gave Midland ISD a two-year, $3.3 million grant to offer monthly stipends of either $500 or 40 percent of a teacher’s contracted lease or rental rate. This program was extremely successful in helping fill teacher vacancies for the current school year. The city can expand upon this model and do the same for city employees. We need to be able to recruit and retain experienced staff to move our city toward the future. Without the staff needed for our growing city, continued delays can be expected. By working with local foundations and using the cash reserves the city already has, we can implement a short-term solution to benefit our city in the long-term.

During all booms you experience challenging issues that must be addressed to continue moving forward. One of the keys to alleviating our housing situation is by speeding up the process and working with area organizations. If a builder is ready to begin construction on a new home, condo or apartment complex, they should not be delayed because of the city. Increasing our housing supply is critical in reducing the burden of rent and housing prices on residents in our community. As your city councilman, I will be committed to solving this issue. www.jrossformidland.com OR www.facebook/JRossLacyForCityCouncilDistrict4.